During pregnancy, you are constantly on the lookout for various options that could help you get the nutrition you need, and that satiates your taste buds as well. The inclusion of pomegranate during the first trimester of pregnancy itself can be a great way to establish a benchmark for your needs. The taste of the fruit is delicious, the juicy nature of it is great for the body, and the various nutrients it brings along with itself, are vital for the development of the foetus.

Is Pomegranate Good for Pregnancy?

On asking the same query for numerous doctors and nutritionists, most of them recommend consumption of pomegranate juice or even the fruit during pregnancy. There doesn’t seem to exist any substantial research or medical proof to support it, but there also aren’t any incidents or evidence to show its harmful nature. Yes, it is advised to stay away from its extract, but the juice has tons of nutrients. The delicious sweet taste can be helpful for mothers who have a sweet tooth and the juiciness helps hydrate the body as well.

Health Benefits of Eating Pomegranate during Pregnancy

The various nutrients in pomegranates span across vitamins and minerals that are quite essential for pregnant mothers. At the same time, the physical constitution of the fruit also benefits women in various ways.

1. A Treasure Trove Of Vitamin C

One of the crucial ingredients of pomegranates is vitamin C. A necessary amount of this vitamin in the body of a pregnant woman is essential, since the presence of this vitamin is linked with the ability to synthesise iron from the food items that are consumed. Taking iron supplements will be of no use if there is no vitamin C to help absorb them.

2. Rich in Fibre Content

Pomegranate contains substantial amounts of fibre. Eating vegetables and fruits that are rich in fibre is recommended for pregnant women, in order to keep the problems of constipation and other digestive disorders at bay. By stimulating bowel movements, fibres play a key role in streamlining the entire system and relieve a lot of discomforts.

3. Presence of Antioxidants

There are elements called as free radicals that are formed in the body as a result of various bodily processes. These are essentially waste products that ought to be flushed out like toxins. But, some of these might stay within the body and interact with healthy cells or even DNA molecules, causing damage to the body internally, also affecting the placenta at times. The best way to combat them is with antioxidants, and pomegranates have a truckload of those. Not only do these keep them at bay, they also repair any damage that might have been caused as well ensure protection from any brain damage to the child, due to the reduction in oxygen supply during labour.

4. Rich in Potassium

Potassium is yet another mineral that is necessary for a pregnant woman. Having a healthy amount of pomegranate juice on a daily basis ensures a good supply of potassium for your body. The direct impact of including pomegranate-rich foods in your diet is the instant relief from pregnancy-related cramps that women feel quite often. This is primarily done by balancing the fluid levels in the body and within the muscles, as a function of potassium.

5. Presence of Folate

If there’s an element necessary for the proper mental development of the foetus, it is folate. A glass of pomegranate juice provides nearly 10% of your daily folate requireis highly advised to ment right away. Folate works towards supporting the development of neural tubes and the nervous system of the baby, keeping his brain development on the right path.

Can Pregnant Women Drink Pomegranate Juice?

Absolutely. Pomegranate juice is highly recommended for pregnant women since it can be easily combined with the daily breakfast and can be quite easy and quick to consume as well.

Benefits of Pomegranate Juice

Consumption of pomegranate juice brings with itself quite a few benefits such as:

How Many Pomegranates Can A Pregnant Woman Eat?

As beneficial as any vegetable or fruit might be, overdoing it is never helpful to the body. One of the significant problems that can occur is a harm to the enamel covering of the tooth, due to excessive exposure to pomegranate juice. An excellent way to keep yourself healthy is using cheese as a precursor before eating pomegranates and rinsing your mouth after consumption. Eat pomegranates based on your daily nutritional requirements.

How to Include Pomegranate in Your Diet?

Pomegranate juice is a great complement to your daily breakfast and munching on pomegranate seeds on the go can keep you satisfied and be a nice snack as well. Apart from that:

If you are a meat eater, then you can further complement the flavour of your lamb preparations by garnishing a few mint leaves and peppering pomegranate seeds by the side.

When preparing mixed fruit smoothies or even milkshakes, add a few pomegranate seeds to tweak the taste or use them as a topping before serving them.

For women who are fans of desserts and salads, the taste of pomegranates can be the right balance you are looking for in the flavour of other ingredients.

Risks Associated with Consuming Pomegranate when Pregnant

Pomegranates might have been considered a symbol for fertility in ancient Egypt and are usually connected to prevention of various pregnancy-related infections as well. However, every benefit does tend to have a dark side either regarding overconsumption or taking the fruit in a wrong circumstance.

Pregnancy ought to be medication-free. However, this isn’t always a possibility for all women, and some might be on medications to assist the pregnancy and maintain proper health. Women who are on medicines for thinning the blood, using inhibitors or even hypertension, could face issues by consumption of pomegranates. Some aspects of the fruit could react with the constituents of the medicine, affecting its functionality.

The calorie count of pomegranates is on a higher side. This is quite a benefit for women who struggle to meet their daily requirements due to other dietary restrictions. However, this also needs to be a factor to be observed since it might be effortless to cross your healthy threshold of calories by consuming this fruit quite a lot.

Pomegranate extract must be avoided by pregnant women at all costs. The prime reason for that is that the extract is prepared without separating the rind from the rest of the fruit. The presence of the rind leads to the extract containing certain elements which are known to interact with a pregnant woman’s body and trigger premature contractions.

Tips for Consuming Pomegranate Fruit

Being aware of the benefits as well as the risks should not deter you from eating the fruit at all. Consuming pomegranates can be quite easy by sticking to a few simple tips.

Rather than purchasing pomegranate juice from the supermarket in the form of cartons, buy the fruits instead and make the juice at home. In this manner, you are ensured of pure juice in the healthiest form and can even make your very own preparations in the form of mocktails, pop sodas and many others for refreshments.

While choosing the fruit, go for a heavier one since that would have the most juice. On the outside, it should be thin yet hard. You can scoop out the seeds after immersing the fruit in cold water or use your fingers to take them out and refrigerate them. Mix them with your breakfast cereal, other food preparations, or even your tea. Yes, it does taste good.

Pomegranate fruit for pregnancy might be one of the best ways to complement your necessary nutrition on a daily basis. The benefits of this fruit are numerous, and the risks are present only when consumed beyond capacity or opting for the extract. Eat the fruit just as you would eat any other item and you would have a safe pregnancy without complications.

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